The Parish Nurse Ministries of NY, Inc., an NYS Non-For-Profit organization, is governed by an Executive Board. The Executive Board/Board of Directors is elected by the members during the annual meeting each June. The Executive Board members are in good standing within the organization and have completed the Foundations of Faith Community Nursing course.
Gladys Jean Diji, BSN, MSN,FCN, RN
Faith Community Nurse
Office
Co-President 2025-26
Background
Gladys’ desire for wellness, healing, and health promotion, led her to attend D’Youville University, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing, and a Master of Science in Nursing with a Clinical Specialty in Community Health Nursing. Her strong and persistent believe in her faith, spirituality, prayer, and healing, she successfully defended her thesis “NURSES PERCEPTIONS OF THE USE OF PRAYER TO INSTILL FAITH AND HOPE.” Her thesis was accepted at an International Nursing Conference in Des Moines, Iowa, where she delivered a poster presentation on her research.
Seeing her community overwhelmed in addictions from substance use and death, she continued to pursue her education, returning to D’Youville University’s Graduate Program in Community Addictions Program. Upon completion, she joined the faculty at the university. Gladys has been on the faculty as Clinical Nursing instructor since 1991 and continues this role.
In 2016, Gladys was educated as a Faith Community Nurse (FCN), receiving her Certificate FCN. She serves on the Health Ministry at her church and serves as the Health Education Coordinator. Gladys believes we are the CEOs of our health and our bodies and as such, we ought to strive and manage ourselves to be in good health, body, mind, and spirt. She frequently sites Proverbs 17:22, which states “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.”
Carol Mather, MSN, RN
Faith Community Nurse
Office
Co-President 2025-2026
Background
Carol has been involved in patient care for 44 years, starting on the medical floor and the ICU. The past
38 years in home health care, 30 of those years as Clinical Manager. This sparked an interest in becoming a Faith Community Nurse. In 2014 Carol took the Foundations of Faith Community Nursing
to become an FCN. She became the FCN at her parish, St. Benedict’s R.C. where she was active in other
parish ministries. From 2015 to 2022 Carol was PNMNY’s Spiritual Coordinator providing prayer and
support to its members in times of wellness and illness (body and soul) and offering retreats. In the
past 2 years, she has assisted in teaching for the Foundations of Faith Nursing.
Education
Carol received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from D’Youville College, Buffalo, NY in 1980.
She received her Master of Arts in Theology from Christ the King Seminary, East Aurora, NY in 1997.
Sherry H. Pomeroy, Ph.D., RN
Faith Community Nurse
Office
Co-Secretary 2025-2026
Background
Sherry specializes in community-based gerontology, long-term care, palliative care, health behavior change, and spiritual care of individuals and families. She has widely published and presented in her areas of research, including as co-author of three recent articles about Faith Community Nursing. Sherry completed the Foundations of Faith Community Nursing course in 2015 through the PNMNY. She served as Co-President of PNMNY for two previous years, as well as Secretary for several terms. Sherry recently retired as the FCN at Orchard Park Presbyterian Church, Orchard Park, NY, where she was also the staff liaison to the OPPC Health Ministry Team and coordinated a monthly social day respite program for persons living with Alzheimer’s or other dementias. Sherry is a certified Powerful Tools for Caregivers Leader. She is also a Respecting Choices – First Steps ACP Certified Instructor/Facilitator, an evidence-based system for person-centered decision-making related to advanced care planning. Sherry is a reviewer for several peer-reviewed nursing journals. She is also Emerita faculty at the University at Buffalo, School of Nursing.
Professional Memberships
Sherry is a member of PNMNY, the Gerontological Society of America, and Sigma Theta Tau.
Education
Sherry received her B.S. degree in nursing from Alfred University (Alfred, NY), her M.S. in community health nursing from the University of Rochester (Rochester, NY), and her Ph.D. in nursing with a major in gerontology and cognate minors in sociology and exercise science from the University of Missouri, Columbia (Columbia, MO).
Sue Gagne, RN
Faith Community Nurse
Office
Co-Secretary 2025-2026
Background
Sue has been worked in the Mental Health and Substance Use fields over the past thirty years. She is now the outreach and engagement RN for UConnectCare in Genesee and Counties. She also serves as the Suicide Prevention Coordinator for Genesee County. Sue received her RN from Genesee Community College and was the recipient of the Leadership Award for her class. Sue is a member of NAMI Rochester and currently serves on the NAMI NYS Board of directors. Locally, she is co-chair of the GOW CARES Alliance Family, Loved Ones, and Allies Committee. Sue has been a Faith Community Nurse since 2023.
Deborah C. Hall
Faith Community Nurse
Office
Treasurer 2025-2026
Office
Co-Secretary 2025-2026
Background
Deborah has been in health care for 48 years in a variety of roles, as a Nurse Administrator, Home Health Nurse, PACU Nurse and Military Nurse.
Deborah is currently a clinical instructor/professor at two local nursing schools.
Deborah became a Faith Community Nurse in 2016 and has spearheaded and supported health care activities and education at her church.
Deborah is a member of the National Black Nurses Association, the Parish Nurse Ministries of NY, the Professional Nurses Association of NY and Literacy Buffalo Niagara.
Lucinda Phillips RN, MSN
Faith Community Nurse
Office
Current Spiritual Coordinator 2025-2026
Past offices held
President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer
Member of PNMNY since 2008
Education
Completed Foundations in Faith Community Nursing course in 2009. Completed the Faith Community Nursing Education training, 2015-2022 Joined the other educators for PNMNY in providing the Foundations in Faith Community Nursing Program to other nurses in WNY and beyond.
Work
Retired. Past work outside of Faith Community Nursing: Millard Suburban Hospital, Island Peer Review Organization (IPRO)-Medicare chart reviews, Frontier Science Research Foundation, D’Youville University
Congregation
New Light Christian Church, Buffalo, NY, a primarily Burmese/Karen refugee congregation on the Buffalo West Side.